Horticultural plant breeding program for the development of breeding material to promote the introduction of conventional, integrated and organic growing technologies, 2024

Project goal: Creation of horticultural cultivars suitable for the agroclimatic conditions of Latvia for the implementation of environmentally friendly agricultural crop cultivation technologies

Creation of new cultivars or breeding for the implementation of integrated vegetable, fruit tree and berry cultivation technologies is a complex long-term activity that includes several interrelated stages:

Pre-breeding

Goal: Study traits important for breeding, selecting their donors, and developing and improving breeding methods.

This breeding stage includes:

• study of existing plant material collections and selection of potential parent plants,
• collection, selection and research of new donors of traits important for breeding,
• creation of new breeding raw material by conducting experimental crossings, including interspecific crosses,
• development and improvement of breeding methods,
• study of plants and their associated pathogens for the improvement of breeding methods.

Traditional breeding

Objective: Create breeding material and select the most promising genotypes in hybrid or collection plantations.

This breeding stage includes:

• crossing using selected parent plants,
• evaluation of the properties of the obtained hybrids and selection in greenhouse and field conditions,
• selection of hybrids using molecular markers specific to the desired traits,
• assessment of disease resistance using plant pathology methods.

Evaluation of candidate varieties and new varieties under production conditions

Objective: Select candidate cultivars to be submitted for registration from the most promising genotypes under production conditions and develop or adapt production technologies for new and candidate cultivars.

This breeding stage includes:

• evaluation of elite hybrids, candidate varieties, and new varieties under commercial cultivation conditions, evaluation of agronomic properties,
  development or adaptation of cultivation technologies, and more, development of the IMP strategy,
• development or adaptation of harvesting and storage technologies, development of suitable processing products for fruit plants suitable for processing, and assessment of nutritional value.

Commercialization of cultivars

Objective: Strengthen the copyright of new cultivars and promote their recognition and availability.

This breeding stage includes:

• conducting cultivar distinctness, uniformity and stability tests (AVS test) and registering new varieties,
• promotional activities for new varieties and/or their products, and demonstrations for potential growers.

Horticultural species included in the breeding program:

• Apple
• Raspberries
• Blackcurrants
• Japanese quince
• Plums
• Pears
• Cherries
• Apricots
• Melons
• Onions
• Garlic

The project's results will be published on the Institute of Horticultural website at the end of the implementation phase and will be available free of charge to all companies operating in the relevant sector or sub-sector.

Results of the breeding programme:

• Institute of Horticulture cultivar catalogue for commercial fruit growers: https://fruittechcentre.eu/sites/default/files/files/pages/DI_skirnu_katalogs_2024.pdf

• Information about the breeding program, its goals and achieved results has been provided at scientific conferences:
  • 82nd International Scientific Conference of the University of Latvia, Plant Breeding and Introduction Section, February 8, 2024, Riga.
    • Report "Horticultural plant breeding to promote the introduction of conventional, integrated and organic agricultural crop production technologies" (G. Lācis, E. Kaufmane, L. Ikase, I. Moročko-Bičevska, S. Strautiņa, E. Rubauskis)
    • Report "Soluble dry matter in pear cultivars/hybrids - seasonal assessment" (U. Bury, E. Rubauskis)
  • LBTU Scientific-Practical Conference "Balanced Agriculture 2024", February 22 and 23, 2024, Jelgava:
    • Report “Horticultural plant breeding program for the promotion of the implementation of conventional, integrated and organic growing technologies” (G. Lācis, I. Moročko-Bičevska, S. Strautiņa, E. Kaufmane, L. Ikase, D. Feldmane, I. Grāvīte, L. Lepse, E. Rubauskis)
    • Report “Latest results in Japanese quince breeding and possibilities of applying precise phenotyping methods” (E. Kaufmane, S. Ruisa, S. Strautiņa, etc.)
    • Report “Estimates for determining the harvest dates of pear cultivars and selected hybrids” (E. Rubauskis, U. Bury)
    • Report “The importance of rootstocks for the after-effects of mechanical thinning of apple blossoms on the periodicity of cultivar production” (D. Udalovs, E. Rubauskis, I. Borisova)
  • Horticulture Conference 2024, March 1, 2024:
    • Report at the plenary session "Latvia in the European commercial horticulture market and science" (L. Lepse)
    • Report in the horticulture section "Summary of projects implemented in horticulture in 2023" (L. Lepse)
  • European Horticultural Congress (EHC2024), 12-16 May 2024, Bucharest, Romania:
    • Report "Development of Japanese quince (Chaenomeles japonica) as a fruit crop and involvement in horticultural practice in the Baltics" (G. Lācis, E. Kaufmane, S. Ruisa)
    • Report "History of apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) breeding and cultivation technologies development in Latvia" (E. Kaufmane, I. Gravite)
    • Report "History and breeding of apples in Latvia: crossroads of geography and challenges of climate" (L. Ikase, G. Lācis)
    • Report "History of apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) breeding and development of cultivation technologies in Latvia" (E.Kaufmane, I.Grāvīte)
    • Report "Insight into the history of the development of statistical data analysis methods in research of fruit-growing in Latvia" (E. Rubauskis, J. Lepsis)
    • Report "Advantages of orchard systems for perspective cultivar candidates in the Nordic climate" (E. Rubauskis, L.Ikase)
  • 20th International Plant Protection Congress. Healthy Plants Support Human Welfare, July 1-5, 2024, Athens, Greece:
    • Report "Screening of Allium plant genetic resource collection for presence of potyviruses, carlaviruses and allexiviruses" (N. Zuļģe, L. Lepse, I. Baka, I. Moročko-Bičevska)
    • Report "Evaluation of sweet cherry (Prunus avium) resistance to Pseudomonas syringae” (I. Moročko-Bičevska, M. Jundzis, D. Feldmane)
  • 12th International Mycology Congress, Maastricht, Netherlands, 11 - 15 August 2024:
    • Report “Studies on fungi causing dieback and decline of blackcurrants and sea buckthorn” (K. Drevinska, I. Moročko-Bičevska)
  • European Fruit Research Institutes Network, EUFRIN) 32. Board meeting:
    • Report “Country report: Latvia” (Gunārs Lācis, Edīte Kaufmane)
  • 1st Nordic-Baltic International NJF Conference REACH, Vilnius, Lithuania, October 8-9, 2024:
    • Report "Evaluation of the European pear rust severity in local pear cultivar 'Kazraušu bumbiere' seedlings and their genetic diversity revealed by SSR molecular markers" (K. Kārkliņa, B. Lāce, G. Lācis)
• Information about the breeding program and its achieved results provided to the industry and the public:
  • Published popular science publications:
    • "Family onions and winter garlic - valuable raw materials for a good product" (K. Juhnevica-Radenkova, V. Radenkovs), Garden and Drava, No. 3(724), 2024, pp. 53-56.
    • "Mechanization in the formation of apple tree crowns" (E. Rubauskis), Professional Gardening No. 20, pp. 8-15, see: https://fruittechcentre.eu/sites/default/files/izdevumi/pdf/Profesionala_DARZKOPIBA_Nr20.pdf
  • Riga Food 2024 Exhibition (September 5-7, 2024) – new Japanese quince varieties (fruit and candied fruits) presented: ‘Silvija’, ‘Jānis’ and the promising new cultivar ‘Ada’
  • With the cooperation and support of scientists from the Institute of Horticulture, Aija Piļka's book "The Unrecognized Genius of Dviete" has been published about the outstanding breeder Pauls Sukatnieks, whose plant material still forms part of current breeding.
  • On November 8, 2024, scientists from the Institute of Horticulture introduced students of Bulduri Technical School to apple tree breeding in Latvia, and also offered to taste new Latvian apple cultivars.
  • Demonstration of the results of the breeding program - new cultivars and hybrids at the "Harvest Festival in Vecauce - 2024: The Art of Survival" organized by LBTU, which took place on November 7, 2024 at Vecauce Castle.
  • Publications on Internet resources:
    • Santa.lv publication "To Dobele for plants! The most delicious fruit cultivars from the collection of the Horticultural Institute."
    • TV3 news program "Sunday at Āgenskalns Market: Latvia's oldest and newest apple cultivars", October 18, 2024
    • Event "Ābolsvētki at Āgenskalns Market", October 20, 2024
  • The 54th Focus Group Discussion on the Conservation and Use of Genetic Resources for Perennial Crops of the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Network took place in Madrid, Spain, on 27-28 November 2024. G. Lācis participated with the report “Repository of Local Fruit and Berry Heritage”, sharing his experience in involving genetic resources in breeding, especially in pre-breeding activities.
• Scientific publications:
  • K. Juhnevica-Radenkova, I. Krasnova, D. Seglina, E. Kaufmane, I. Gravite, A. Valdovska, V. Radenkovs. 2024. Biochemical Profile and Antioxidant Activity of Dried Fruit Produced from Apricot Cultivars Grown in Latvia. Hoticulturae, 10, 205. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae1003020
  • E. Kaufmane, I. Gravite. History of apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) breeding and development of cultivation technologies in Latvia (submitted Acta Horticulturae)
  • G.Lācis, E.Kaufmane, S.Ruisa. Development of Japanese quince (Chaenomeles japonica) as a fruit crop and involvement in horticultural practice in the Baltics (submitted Acta Horticulturae)
  • E. Rubauskis, U. Bury. 2024. Estimates for information on the timing of harvest of selected pear varieties and hybrids. Līdzsvarota lauksaimniecība: zinātniski praktiskās konferences raksti. Jelgava: LBTU, 44. - 48. pp.
  • D. Udalovs, E. Rubauskis, I. Borisova. 2024. The importance of rootstocks in the after-effects of mechanical thinning of apple tree blossoms on the periodicity of variety production. Līdzsvarota lauksaimniecība: zinātniski praktiskās konferences raksti. Jelgava: LBTU, 49 - 53. pp.
  • G. Lācis, K.Kārkliņa, T.Bartulsons, E. Kaufmane 2024. Intergeneric Transfer of Simple Sequence Repeat Molecular Markers for the Study of Chaenomeles as Fruit Crop Breeding Material. Horticulturae, 10, 1233. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae1011123